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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Saturday, February 1, 2003
Jacobs WR, Dragila AR spark dynamite beginning to Indoor GST
BOSTON – A live TV audience on ESPN2 and a packed house at the Reggie Lewis
Center came to Saturday’s adidas Boston Indoor Games expecting to see some
of the world’s best athletes.
They left having witnessed a world record courtesy of Regina Jacobs and an
American record by Stacy Dragila at the first stop on USA Track & Field’s
2003 Indoor Golden Spike Tour.
The 39-year-old Jacobs broke 4 minutes for 1,500 meters for the first time
in her storied career on Saturday, running 3:59.98 to break Romanian Doina
Melinte’s world record of 4:00.27, set in East Rutherford, N.J. in 1990.
Elena Iagar of Romania was second in 4:09.91.
A 22-time U.S. champion at various distances, Jacobs broke Mary Slaney’s
American record of 4:00.8, set in 1980, with her performance. Having studied
how the world’s best male 1,500-meter runners run their races, Jacobs went
out fast early, running splits of 62.3 for 400m, 2:06.2 for 800m and 3:12.0
for 1,200m.
“I’ve always run fast here,” said Jacobs, who ran her American record of
2:35.29 in Boston in 2000 and also ran a world best 9:23.38 for two miles
here in 2002. “The crowd is amazing, and it’s a great track. I had 16 weeks
of the best training I’ve ever had. I knew it was possible, but you have to
get up and hope the track gods are with you.”
The track gods also were with Dragila, who cleared 4.71 meters/15 feet, 5.50
inches to beat her own American record of 4.70/15-5 in the Visa women’s pole
vault. It was a tremendous beginning for Dragila, who last year lost her
indoor world record to Svetlana Feofanova of Russia while Dragila nursed a
foot injury.
On Saturday, Dragila missed at her attempts to break Feofanova’s WR of
4.75/15-7, but she feels the record is well within her grasp.
“I felt like I was close,” Dragila said of her world record attempts. “I
think I came off the pole too soon. But today I felt very aggressive at
take-off.”
American athletes were feeling aggressive throughout the meet, if their
performances were any indication.
Led by Maurice Greene, Americans went 1-3 in the Verizon mens’ 60m dash.
Greene got out of the blocks so quickly that he found himself hesitating
early in the race. He came on to win in 6.52 seconds, with Jon Drummond
second in 6.56 and Tim Harden third in 6.57.
Americans also swept the 200, where 2002 U.S. indoor and outdoor runner-up
Darvis Patton outran 2000 Olympic Trials winner and American indoor record
holder John Capel. Patton ran 20.73 to overtake Capel, who was second at
20.91. Godfrey Herring was third in 21.52.
Americans went 1-2 in the women’s 60m hurdles. Jenny Adams won in a time of
8.04 seconds over fellow American Melissa Morrison (8.05). Alice Schmidt won
the StretchRite women’s 800m run in 2:05.75.
In other events, Tonique Williams of the Bahamas won the women’s 400 in
52.57 seconds, Savatheda Fynes of the Bahamas won the women’s 60m in 7.16,
double World Junior Championships gold medalist Meseret Defar of Ethiopia
won the women’s 3,000m (8:57.22), Otukile Lekote of Botswana won the men’s
800 (1:48.07), and Bernard Legat of Kenya won the adidas men’s 1,500m
(3:38.15).
Another record came in the men’s 3,000m run, with Irishman Alistair Craig of
the University of Arkansas won in 7:45.22 to set a collegiate record.
For full results from the adidas Boston Indoor Games, visit www.usatf.org
ATHLETE QUOTES
Regina Jacobs, women’s 1,500m winner, WORLD RECORD 3:59.98
“It feels pretty amazing. The hardest part was standing there, waiting to
find out if I broke it (the world record). … In 2000, I felt like I was in
the best shape of my life, and I never knew if I’d get there again. I pushed
and pushed, and now I’m back. I’m thrilled. I had 16 weeks of the best
training I’ve ever had. I knew it was possible, but you have to get up and
hope the track gods are with you. Now the trick is to keep running fast. I’
ve always run fast here. The crowd is amazing, and it’s a great track.”
Stacy Dragila, women’s pole vault winner, AMERICAN RECORD 4.71m/15-5.5:
“I think my speed was doing it for me tonight. I was aggressive on the last
two steps of my approach, which allowed me to be on a bigger pole. It gave
me a lot of confidence to come out here, knowing what I’ve been doing in
training. This is where I want to be.”
Maurice Greene, men’s 60m winner, 6.52:
“I’m getting the rust out. I think it was a pretty good race for being my
first real competition of the year. I kind of scared myself at the start
(because he got out of the blocks so quickly), then I hesitated, so I had to
pick it up in the middle. I was next to JD (Jon Drummond) and he’s one of
the best starters in the world. I couldn’t believe I got out of the blocks
like that. I scared myself.”
Darvis Patton, men’s 200m winner, 20.73:
“I knew he (John Capel) was coming. He’s the American record holder, but I
just had to run my race. I didn’t expect to run this fast this early.”
Savatheda Fynes, women’s 60m winner, 7.16:
“This was my first race. I felt it was a solid race. I was hoping to run
7.17. I’m definitely happy with it.”
Angela Williams, women’s 60m runner-up, 7.19:
“I was nervous. I have been nervous all day. There’s so much anxiety built
up because it’s my first race of the year, and I was racing some of the best
in the world. I felt prepared with the new group I work with (H.S.I.). Each
race, we’re trying to perfect something. I’m happy to run 7.19, it’s very
good starting out, so I know I’ll be ready later in the year. I got a good
start.”
Jenny Adams, women’s 60m hurdles winner, 8.04:
“I think everything went OK. I just had a lot of jitters, with Melissa
Morrison next to me and it being a fast field. Being under a different coach
(Gary Winckler), we have a different philosophy – indoors is getting me
ready for outdoors. I’m not as tuned in as I usually am.”
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